According to a new study, raccoons could expand their natural range to parts of the UK.
German scientists examined data on the bizarre-looking raccoon and the raccoon dog and predicted where they might survive in Europe.
Raccoons, known for sliding rubbish bins, could live in urban and coastal areas such as Liverpool, London and much of the English south coast.
There are currently no raccoons in the British desert, but the study indicates that if they were introduced illegally or escaped from captivity they would likely thrive.
Raccoons, a dog that looks like a fox, could spread even further across the British Isles than the raccoon, including much of Scotland and Ireland, according to the data.
Both animals are considered invasive species and are on the EU watch list of foreign animals that could take over new land and cause ecological havoc.
Animals are very hardy, able to survive in various conditions and have the potential to transmit parasites to humans, experts warn.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is native to North America, while the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is native to Asia and is considered a potential reservoir for coronavirus hosts, including SARS-CoV-2.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is native to North America and is known for its distinctive black mask around the eyes with white skin around the mask.
This map shows in red the potential range of the raccoon in Europe. Colored areas are a suitable habitat for the animal and include parts of the UK
This map of the Compendium of Invasive Species shows the current European range of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) which extends over 20 countries
In July last year, a raccoon dog was seen wandering the countryside of Wales, before being captured and dropped.
While it is not illegal to keep a raccoon dog as a pet, the RSPCA “discourages” people from doing so because “they are not suitable for life as a pet in a domestic setting.” tell the charity in MailOnline.
Both species were brought to Europe during the 20th century for fur breeding and as prey animals for hunters, and have since spread to large areas.
According to the Compendium of Invasive Species, the raccoon and the raccoon can be found in 20 and 33 countries in Europe, respectively.
But there is a risk that these species will spread further and expand their distribution areas in Europe beyond the current distribution, which could raise these figures.
Screenshot of the Compendium of Invasive Species, a database of the Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI). Show current global raccoon range (Procyon lotor)
“In Europe, animals do not yet occupy all regions with suitable climatic conditions, that is, regions that are a potential habitat for them,” said the study’s author, Dr. Judith Kochmann, at the Center of Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research in Frankfurt.
“Therefore, the raccoon and raccoon ranges in Europe are likely to expand significantly in the future.
Raccoons and raccoon dogs are flexible in terms of habitat and diet. In addition, they have few, if any, natural enemies in Europe.
“Therefore, we assume that its natural spread is limited mainly by the climate and, in this sense, there is still room for expansion.”
Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) are not raccoons, but members of the dog family. They are native to the forests of eastern Siberia, northern China, North Vietnam, Korea, and Japan and are currently widespread in some European countries.
Map showing the projected area of climate adaptation in Europe marked in red for the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). The range is even more widespread for the raccoon dog, which has a greater tolerance to colder temperatures than the raccoon.
As they spread, raccoons and raccoon dogs could harbor infectious agents, such as parasites and viruses, that can also be transmitted to humans.
“Raccoons transmit the red raccoon worm and are considered reservoirs of West Nile virus,” said co-author Dr Sven Klimpel of Goethe University in Frankfurt.
Raccoons harbor similar pathogens, including rabies-causing lisaviruses, canine disease viruses, and fox tapeworm.
“In addition, raccoon dogs are currently suspected to be reservoir hosts for coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2).”
Researchers are currently investigating exactly which pathogens carry these two species.
For their study, the researchers investigated areas where the two species could experience climatic conditions similar to their native areas and therefore find suitable habitat.
Compendium of invasive species showing the current global range of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). It is widespread in Asia and much of Europe, but not in North America like the raccoon
Compendium of invasive species showing the current European range of the raccoon dog – note its prominence in Scandinavia compared to the raccoon
In total, 6,911 records of the location of raccoons in the United States and 192 of raccoon dogs from Asia were studied to determine the parts of Europe where the animals could live.
The team used eight variables to analyze the temperature and precipitation conditions in which it has been documented that both species will thrive in their regions of origin.
From this information, they derived the climatic niches of the animals, where the conditions are perfect for the survival of the species.
As they reveal, habitats with a suitable climate for raccoons and raccoon dogs overlap widely in Europe.
The raccoon dog can spread more rapidly to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, while raccoons are likely to colonize southern regions, including London, Cornwall, Merseyside and Brighton in the United Kingdom.
This difference is probably due to the fact that raccoon dogs tolerate lower temperatures in winter, a behavior that may have contributed to their good spread in northern Europe, according to the study authors.
“Procyon lotor appears to find suitable habitats in all coastal areas, but cannot reach higher elevations,” the authors say.
In future research, scientists plan to expand their focus by incorporating land use data, enabling the development of improved small-scale models.
These will serve as a basis for future management measures aimed at controlling the populations of both species.
The study was published in Mammal Review.